Lohri is celebrated in parts of many states across the country, especially Punjab and other neighbouring states in northern India, as a harvest festival. This year the festival falls on Monday, January 13. While Lohri is primarily a Punjabi festival, it is celebrated by many people across the country who light bonfires and dance to welcome longer days after the winter solstice. The festival serves as an opportunity to bring people together, spread joy and celebrate the harvest season. It is a celebration of life and people love to sing and dance around the fire, and throw peanuts, puffed rice, popcorn and rewari into the flames.
The festival signifies the end of the winter sowing season, paving the way for an abundant harvest. Devotees honour the Sun God (Surya Devta) and the Fire God (Agni) through prayers and offerings. Lohri symbolises the transition to longer, warmer days, falling just a day before Makar Sankranti.
Now, as Lohri 2025 is just around the corner, here's a look into the symbolism and significance behind the bonfire.
Bonfires are central to Lohri and the celebrations revolve around it. On the day of the festival, people light huge bonfires in the harvested fields and in the front yards of houses. People gather around the rising flames, circle the bonfire and throw puffed rice, popcorn and other munchies into the fire while singing popular folk songs.
Folklore of Punjab believes that the flames of the bonfire lit on the day of Lohri carry the messages and prayers of the people to the sun god to bring warmth to the planet to help crops grow. For some, the bonfire symbolically indicates that the bright days are ahead of the people's lives, while some believe that the flames carry away the darkness and usher in the light, signifying the triumph of good over evil.
The five main items, which are a must during Lohri and are offered to the gods are til or sesame and items made with it, gajak or sweets made of peanuts and jaggery, moongphali or peanuts, and phuliya or popcorn.
Lohri 2025 celebrations
Lohri revolves around offering prayers and expressing gratitude to Agni (fire) and the Sun god for abundant crops. On the day of the festival, special programmes are organised where people sing traditional Lohri songs, dance and interact. Men and women do jhoomer, bhangra, kikli, and giddha to celebrate the festival. There is also a tradition to eat "til rice" on Lohri. It is made with jaggery, rice, and sesame seeds.
People also fly kites on this day and the sky is dotted with multi-coloured kites like "Tukkal", "Chhaj", "Pari" of different sizes and shapes carrying Happy Lohri and Happy New Year messages.
